Instead Of 'Gen Z', Use 'Tarun Bharat': Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker

Madhya Pradesh assembly speaker Narendra Singh Tomar on Sunday advocated using the term "Tarun Bharat" instead of Gen Z, saying the younger generation should be welcomed with an open mind as change is a natural part of life.

Gen-Z (Generation Z) refers to the generation born mainly between 1997 and 2012. The term's usage has increased in political discourse in the country amid growing youth movements on various issues.

Addressing an event of Indian journalism organised by the State Press Club in Indore, Tomar said, "Certainly, Gen-Z is being talked about everywhere today, but I would urge that instead of using the term 'Gen-Z', if we use the term 'Tarun Bharat', it would be much better."

He said the young generation from India was achieving remarkable things in the country and abroad, which surprised everyone.

"I think the present time is a period of generational transition. At this juncture, we should all broaden the scope of our thinking, look at new dimensions and welcome and honour the generation that will take charge from us in the future," he said.

The senior BJP leader said there could be a generational gap, but there was no reason to believe that the younger generation would necessarily think in the wrong direction.

He said India's cultural traditions regard change as a law of nature and that change had been a natural process in every era.

In an apparent reference to the erstwhile Mughal rulers, Tomar said there had been cultures in which a son would imprison his father to acquire an empire.

"Some people may try to mislead the public, but I can say with confidence that the youth of the country have conducted more experiments in the last 10-15 years than ever before. The more we take pride in this achievement of the youth, the less it is," he said.

Tomar praised PM Modi's leadership and said India had gained global recognition while Indian youth were contributing significantly to the global economy.

He said a large number of young members of the Indian diaspora attending the prime minister's programmes abroad showed Indians' contribution to the progress of developed nations.

The former Union minister also referred to India's start-up journey under PM Modi's leadership.

"When we came into government, there used to be only 300-400 startups in the country. Today, there are thousands of startups because of competition. These startups have the same young people whom you call 'Gen-Z', whereas I call them 'Tarun Bharat'," he added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)